Rebel without a brain...

As sinful people we are in constant rebellion against God.  If you stop and think about it, this rebellion often leads to ridiculous and downright stupid behavior.  We are like children rebelling against their parents that refuse to eat the ice cream just to prove a point, or who break their favorite toy because we are mad.  Hello!  Eat the ice cream and keep toy.  I am not saying that all forms of rebellion are bad, for we are told to rebel against the forces of evil and sin in this world, to rebel against our flesh and the temptations of the Devil.  But, to rebel against the Lord?  Stupid!  Read the following passage from the book of Hosea.  God is talking about the Israelites and how they were rebelling against him and yet were clueless as to why they were suffering and how they were refusing to submit and return to Him. 

Hosea 7:1-2, 11-16

When I would heal Israel,
    the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed,
    and the evil deeds of Samaria;
for they deal falsely;
    the thief breaks in,
    and the bandits raid outside.
² But they do not consider
    that I remember all their evil.
Now their deeds surround them;
    they are before my face…

¹¹Ephraim is like a dove,
    silly and without sense,
    calling to Egypt, going to Assyria.
¹² As they go, I will spread over them my net;
    I will bring them down like birds of the heavens;
    I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation.
¹³ Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!
    Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!
I would redeem them,
    but they speak lies against me.

¹⁴ They do not cry to me from the heart,
    but they wail upon their beds;
for grain and wine they gash themselves;
    they rebel against me.
¹⁵ Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
    yet they devise evil against me.
¹⁶ They return, but not upward;
    they are like a treacherous bow;
their princes shall fall by the sword
    because of the insolence of their tongue.
This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Things to think about:

·      Notice God’s attitude throughout this passage…I see at least two themes. 

o       God is judging them for their sin.

o       God wants to heal them and bring them back to give them peace and comfort and love.

·      Notice the dumb things the Israelites do:

o       They seek help from Egypt and Assyria, and not from the Lord.  Who would be better at helping – nations that you have previously been at war with and who would kill you if they had the chance, or the God that has rescued you and protected you for hundreds of years?

o       They lie to God and they lie about God…as if God doesn’t know what is true or false…He is God after all.

o       They refuse to return to God.  God is waiting with open arms and yet the people refuse to return to Him.  Even in their destruction and pain pride and doubt prevent them from finding peace.

o       They cry on their beds, but do not cry out to the Lord…Think about this one for a bit.  Have you ever cried on your bed and forgotten to cry out to the Lord.  Your bed can not help you – But God Can!

·      All of us need to recognize our rebellion against God, even us believers.  All sin is one form of rebellion or another.  May you put the silly was aside and humbly return to the Lord today!  Seek Him, cry to Him, run to Him, pray to Him, and submit to Him.  He loves you and is waiting to redeem you and bring you back into His arms where you belong.